Information-processing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Means are provided which are adapted to guide a portion of an information carrier consisting of a strip in the form of a loop. A sensing device is movable along a predetermined path into and out of engagement with said portion of said strip. Mode control means are operable to set the apparatus for any of a plurality of modes of operation. One of said modes is a fast rewind mode. Locking means are movable between an inoperative position, in which they are clear of said path, and an operative position, in which they extend into said path and are adapted to hold said sensing device clear of said strip. Means are arranged to more said locking means to and hold them in said operative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode and to move said locking means to and hold them in said inoperative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for another of said modes.

United States Patent Pammer [54] INFORMATION-PROCESSING APPARATUS v [72] Inventor: Gottfried Pammer, Sudstadt, Austria [731 Assignees: Karl Vockenhuber; Raimund Hauser, Vienna, Austria [22] Filed: June 24, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 49,234

[52] US. Cl. ..352/124, 226/50, 352/159, 352/191 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65h 59/26, G03h 1/56 [58] Field of Search ..352/124, 166, 168,191, 159; 226/50, 64, 66

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,561,854 2/1971 Bundschuh ..352/124 3,537,783 11/1970 Komer et a1 ..352/166 X 3,081,013 3/ 1963 Walther ..226/64 X 1,996,759 4/1935 Foster et a1 ..352/166 2,017,855 10/1935 Foster et a1. ..226/35 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,280,670 10/1968 Germany ..352/166 [is] 3,684,360 51 Aug. 15,1972

Primary Examiner-Louis R. Prince Assistant Examiner-Frederick Shoon Attorney-Ernest G. Montague 57 ABSTRACT Means are provided which are adapted to guide a portion of an information carrier consisting of a strip in the form of a loop. A sensing device is movable along a predetermined path into and out of engagement with said portion of said strip. Mode control means are operable to set the apparatus for any of a plurality of modes of operation. One of said modes is a fast rewind mode. Locking means are movable between an inoperative position, in which they are clear of said.

path, and an operative position, inwhich they extend into said path and are adapted to hold said sensing device clear of said strip. Means are arranged to more said locking means to and hold them in said operative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode and to move said locking means to and hold them in said inoperative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for another of said modes.

5 Clains, 4 Drawing Figures INFORMATION-PROCESSING APPARATUS This invention relates to recording or reproducing apparatus for use with a striplike information carrier and particularly relates to a film projector. The apparatus comprises a sensing device, which is preferably resilient and engages a loop formed by the strip and is adapted to be locked by a locking device in a stripclearing position. The locking device is movable between inoperative and operative positions. Sensing devices which engage a loop of a strip are known for various purposes, for instance, to form a film into a loop. A disadvantage of the known sensing devices resides in that they engage the information carrier also when the strip is being rewound, generally at high speed. This results in a strong braking action and sometimes in damage to the information carrier. For such sensing device, a manually operable locking device has been disclosed, which holds the sensing device in a strip-clearing position. This arrangement cannot be used for the purposes of the present invention. It is also known to provide means for lifting the sensing device out of the path of the film as the latter is threaded. These lifting means require a separate actuator.

It is an object of the invention to eliminate the disadvantages which have been set forth hereinbefore. The invention resides essentially in that a device is provided which is arranged to move a locking device to its operative position in response to a setting of the apparatus for a rewind mode, whereas the locking device is held in an inoperative position when the apparatus is in condition for another mode of operation. To accomplish the object underlying the invention, a lifting device provided with a separate actuator may not be required because the change to the rewind mode initially causes the striplike information carrier to become taut so as to move the sensing device to an end position. During the rewind operation, the tension of the information carrier generally decreases to some extent so that the sensing device would cause the strip to form a larger loop. The locking device is provided according to the invention to prevent the formation of such larger loop and for this purpose holds the sensing device in its strip-clearing end position. Within the scope of the invention, the arrangement may be such that the locking device is rendered inoperative by the mode control switch or a member of the apparatus which cooperates with the mode control switch. In an apparatus which comprises a pull-down claw, which intermittently extends into perforations of the strip, and a lifting device which during the rewind operation holds the claw disengaged from the perforations of the strip, it will be desirable to connect the locking device to the lifting device so that the locking device assumes its sensing device locking position when the strip has been disengaged from the pull-down claw.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the subsequent description of an embodiment which is shown diagrammatically and by way of example in the drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a substandard filmprojector arranged for use with a film cartridge and provided with means for automatically threading the film.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a detail of the projector shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation taken in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 is an elevation taken in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 2. v

The substandard film projector 1 shown in the drawings is arranged for use with a film cartridge 2. By a threading mechanism comprising a stripper 3 an belt drive 4, the film is moved in known manner out of the cartridge and is then trained around a roller 5 and forms a loop 6, which is engaged by a sensing device 7. The film-is finally trained around a deflecting roller 8 to enter the film gate 9 of the projector. An illuminating system, not shown, and a lens 10 serve to project an image of the film onto a screen, which is not shown either. Having passed through the film gate 9, the film is wound up on a take-up reel 11. The threading mechanism and specifically the movement of the stripper 3 and the belt drive into the cartridge is controlled by a slider 12, which is adjustable by means ofa knob 13.

The sensing device 7 comprises a deflecting roller, which directly engages the film and which is carried by a' slider 14. Two stationary pins 16 and 17 extend through a slot 15 formed in the slider 14 to guide the same in its longitudinal direction. The slider 14 carries also a (film-guiding element 18, which in the threading position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 is disposed between the roller 5 and the deflecting roller 8 and together with a stationary film-guiding element 19 defines a virtually closed path for the film. Coil springs 20 and 21 bias the slider 14 and tend to move the latter to its operative position, which is shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. The slider is held in its threading position by a two-armed lever 22. The lever 22 is operated by a pin 23, which is carried by the threading slider 12. The second lever arm is cranked and bears on a pin 24 carried by the slider 14 so that the operation of the lever 22 results in a movement of the slider 14 to its left-hand end position (FIG. 2). When the threading slider 12 has been retracted, a spring 25 returns the lever 22 to its inoperative position. The slider 14 and the lever 22 are carried by a plate 26, to which a one-armed lever 27 is pivoted, which is biased by a spring 28. A lever 29 cranked in L-shape is pivoted to the free end of the lever 27 and cooperates with an extension 30 carried by the slider 14. The free end of the lever 29 faces a two-armed lever 31, which is pivoted at 32 to the projector housing (see also FIG. 4). The lever 31 carries a detent pawl 33. A detent pin 35 is carried by a lens mount 34 and adapted to be held in position by the pawl 33 so that the lens mount is locked in its operative position, shown in FIG. 4, against the force of a spring, not shown.

When the slider 14 is initially in the position represented in solid lines in FIG. 2, an increase of the tension of the film will result in a movement of the sensing device 7 and of the slider 14 to the left so that the extension 30 engages the lever 29 to impart a pivotal movement thereto in the clockwise sense. As a result, the lever 29 engages the lever 31, a pivotal movement in the clockwise sense is imparted also to the lever 31 (FIG. 4), the detent pawl 33 releases the pin 35 and the spring, not shown, imparts to the lens mount 34 a pivotal movement in the clockwise sense about the pivot 36 so that the film gate 9 is opened. The film is now lifted from the stationary film-guiding ele ment 37 (FIGS. 2, 4) and the pull-down claw disengages the film at the same time so that the film can be rewound quickly by the operation of means for driving the supply reel contained in the film cartridge 2. By means of a linkage, not shown, the mode control switch of the projector operates the second arm of the lever 31 so that the lens mount is returned to its operative position as soon as the projector is set for forward or reverse projection.

The pin 24 provided at the right-hand end of the slider 14 faces a switch 38, which is included in the circuit of the motor for driving the projector. Because the trailing end of the film is secured to the supply reel, the film becomes taut towards the end of the projection and causes the sensing device 7 to move to the position shown in dash-dot lines in FIG. 2 and to move the switch 38 to a position for the rewind operation. During the rewind operation, the film tension decreases somewhat and the sensing device 7 would tend to form the film into a loop 6, although the same would be smaller than during normal operation. To prevent the formation of such loop, a pawl 39 cooperates vwith the extension 30 and is pivoted on a pivot 40 and is biased by a spring 41 tending to move the pawl 39 towards the path of the extension 30 (see FIG. 3). When the lens mount 34 is in closed position, a plunger 42 connected to the lens mount keeps the pawl 39 out of the path of the extension 30. To this end, the plunger 42 engages a laterally bent lug 43 of the pawl 39. This lug forms also an abutment for the spring 41.

When the projector is set for the rewind mode so that the lens mount 34 is pivotally moved in the clockwise sense in FIG. 4 about the pivot 36 under the action of the spring 41, the pawl 39 will follow this movement under the action of the spring 41 and will move immediately behind the extension 30, which is slightly before the pawl 39 when the sensing device 7 is in the end position indicated in dash-dot lines in FIG. 2. When the projector is changed back to normal operation and the lens mount 34 is locked in its position shown in FIG. 4, the plunger 42 re-engages the lug 43 of the pawl 39 to move the latter out of the path of the extension 30. The de-energization of the projector or the change from rewind operation to normal operation may beinitiated by a counter or the like, which is provided on the projector and which is operated during the forward movement of the film and initiates a suitable switching operation after the rewind operation corresponding to a countdown to zero. With this arrangement, 'there is no need to provide a sensing device to initiate the switching operations required at the end of the rewind operation.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for handling an information carrier in the form of a strip, which apparatus comprises means adapted to guide a portion of said strip in the form of a loop, I

a sensing device movable along a predetermined path into and out of engagement with said portion of said strip,

mode control means operable to set the apparatus for any of a plurality of modes of operation, one of said modes being a fast rewind mode,

locking means movable between an inoperative position, in which they are clear of said path, and an operative position, in which they extend into said path and are adapted to hold said sensing device clear of said strip, and to prevent the formation of a larger loop by said strip,

means arranged to move said locking means to and hold them in said operative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode and to move said locking means to and hold them in said inoperative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for another of said modes, said mode control means comprise a mode control switch movable between positions corresponding to said modes and arranged to release said locking means from said inoperative position in response to a movement of said switch to a position corresponding to said fast rewind mode from a position corresponding to another of said modes, and

means being provided which bias said locking means into said operative position.

2. Apparatus for handling an information carrier in the form of a strip, which apparatus comprises means adapted to guide a portion of said strip in the form of a loop,

a sensing device movable along a predetermined path into and out of engagement with said portion of said strip,

mode control means operable to set the apparatus for any of a'plurality of modes of operation, one of said modes being a fast rewind mode,

locking means movablebetween an inoperative position, in which they are clear of said path, and an operative position in which they extend into said path and are adapted to hold said sensing device clear of said strip, and to prevent the formation of a larger loop by said strip,

means arranged to move said locking means to and hold them in said operative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode and to move said locking means to and hold them in-said inoperative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for another of said modes,

said mode control means comprise a mode control switch movable between positions corresponding to said modes,

means being provided which are operatively connected to said mode control switch and arranged to release said locking means from said inoperative position in response to a movement of said switch to a position corresponding to said fast rewind mode from a position corresponding to another of said modes and means being provided which bias said locking means into said operative position.

3. Apparatus for handling an information carrier in the form of a strip, which apparatus comprises means adapted to guide a portion of said strip in the form of a loop,

a sensing device movable along a predetermined path into and out of engagement with said portion of said strip,

mode control means operable to set the apparatus for any of a plurality of modes of operation, one of said modes being afast rewind mode,

locking means movable between an inoperative position, in which they are clear of said path, and an operative position, in which they extend into said path and are adapted to hold said sensing device clear of said strip, and to prevent the formation of a larger loop by said strip,

means arranged to move said locking means to and hold them in said operative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode and to move said locking means to and hold them in said inoperative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for another of said modes,

a film gate comprising a movable film-guiding element and a stationary film-guiding element,

detent means for releasably locking said movable film-guiding element in an operative position, in which said movable film-guiding element is closely spaced from said stationary film-guiding element,

spring means urging said movable film-guiding element toward an inoperative position, in which said movable film-guiding element is remote from said stationary film-guiding element, and

means for disengaging said detent means from said movable film-guiding element in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode,

said locking means comprising a pawl and claw-controlling means arranged to move said pawl into said path of said sensing device in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast backwind mode and to move said pawl out of said path of said sensing device in response to the setting of the apparatus for a mode other than said fast backwind mode. 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, which comprises 10 -a movable lens mount carrying said movable film-guiding element.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which said claw-controlling means comprise 

1. Apparatus for handling an information carrier in the form of a strip, which apparatus comprises means adapted to guide a portion of said strip in the form of a loop, a sensing device movable along a predetermined path into and out of engagement with said portion of said strip, mode control means operable to set the apparatus for any of a plurality of modes of operation, one of said modes being a fast rewind mode, locking means movable between an inoperative position, in which they are clear of said path, and an operative position, in which they extend into said path and are adapted to hold said sensing device clear of said strip, and to prevent the formation of a larger loop by said strip, means arranged to move said locking means to and hold them in said operative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode and to moVe said locking means to and hold them in said inoperative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for another of said modes, said mode control means comprise a mode control switch movable between positions corresponding to said modes and arranged to release said locking means from said inoperative position in response to a movement of said switch to a position corresponding to said fast rewind mode from a position corresponding to another of said modes, and means being provided which bias said locking means into said operative position.
 2. Apparatus for handling an information carrier in the form of a strip, which apparatus comprises means adapted to guide a portion of said strip in the form of a loop, a sensing device movable along a predetermined path into and out of engagement with said portion of said strip, mode control means operable to set the apparatus for any of a plurality of modes of operation, one of said modes being a fast rewind mode, locking means movable between an inoperative position, in which they are clear of said path, and an operative position in which they extend into said path and are adapted to hold said sensing device clear of said strip, and to prevent the formation of a larger loop by said strip, means arranged to move said locking means to and hold them in said operative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode and to move said locking means to and hold them in said inoperative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for another of said modes, said mode control means comprise a mode control switch movable between positions corresponding to said modes, means being provided which are operatively connected to said mode control switch and arranged to release said locking means from said inoperative position in response to a movement of said switch to a position corresponding to said fast rewind mode from a position corresponding to another of said modes and means being provided which bias said locking means into said operative position.
 3. Apparatus for handling an information carrier in the form of a strip, which apparatus comprises means adapted to guide a portion of said strip in the form of a loop, a sensing device movable along a predetermined path into and out of engagement with said portion of said strip, mode control means operable to set the apparatus for any of a plurality of modes of operation, one of said modes being a fast rewind mode, locking means movable between an inoperative position, in which they are clear of said path, and an operative position, in which they extend into said path and are adapted to hold said sensing device clear of said strip, and to prevent the formation of a larger loop by said strip, means arranged to move said locking means to and hold them in said operative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode and to move said locking means to and hold them in said inoperative position in response to the setting of the apparatus for another of said modes, a film gate comprising a movable film-guiding element and a stationary film-guiding element, detent means for releasably locking said movable film-guiding element in an operative position, in which said movable film-guiding element is closely spaced from said stationary film-guiding element, spring means urging said movable film-guiding element toward an inoperative position, in which said movable film-guiding element is remote from said stationary film-guiding element, and means for disengaging said detent means from said movable film-guiding element in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode, said locking means comprising a pawl and claw-controlling means arranged to move said pawl into said path of said sensing device in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast backwind mode and to move said pawl out of said path of said sensing device in response to the setting of the apparatus for a mode other than said fast backwind mode.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, which comprises a movable lens mount carrying said movable film-guiding element.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which said claw-controlling means comprise spring means urging said pawl into said path of said feeler, and means arranged to lock said pawl clear of said path of said feeler when said apparatus is set for a mode other than said fast backwind mode and to release said pawl for movement into said path in response to the setting of the apparatus for said fast rewind mode. 